Turtle

For real. That's one of my nicknames. 

I promise I'll get the hang of "First Fridays" when life doesn't always get in the way. HAHA. For the record, the First Friday of May 2013 was my sister's graduation from graduate school (the FIRST of our cousins to achieve a Master's Degree) so it was kinda a big deal. I couldn't be more proud of my sister... Who's next? Me perhaps...?

I expected this graduating class (only graduate students) to be much smaller. 

I have learned a lot this past month... not just new experiences, but was reminded about things I had forgotten about myself. I realized that I have a comfort zone in the gym. Give me a barbell and a squat rack and I get down. Am I off to become the next Sarah Robles? No, but I had forgotten how much I enjoyed weightlifting. I have been so concentrated on being healthy and making that lifestyle change to living fit that I had forgotten to just enjoy it. So that's what I started doing.

What do I have to lose right? By getting myself to the gym (way more motivating when I have a workout to look forward to) I am making gains.

I had been debating participating in a seminar with Lift Big Eat Big. I really admire this group of athletes. Despite the fact that I share a common interest with them in weightlifting, I agree with their philosophy and I really appreciate that the community they provide isn't just sharing and congratulating each other on their latest PRs, but to also support and inform a wider community on best practices in the field.
But I was way intimated to train with these guys. I'm a beginner; I lift, but I don't have a world record, I don't train consistently at a crossfit gym, etc, etc... I'd make a fool of myself. Talk about Debbie-Doubter.

So the last weekend in April, I dragged my worrisome butt out to the beach and I listened. And for the first time in a really, really long time when Sunday night came around, I realized I hadn't thought about work or personal stress or chores or any of the daily nonsense the entire weekend. And I loved every minute of it.

I hit a 125lb (each hand) max on farmer's walk. Thanks to some super helpful tips (aka NO SHOES) I managed a 225 PR on deadlift.

The Yoke was super awkward for me, I had a really hard time getting the form down and let me tell you its a killer on the spine. The LOG was my worst enemy, I couldn't get it up - I think because I was afraid of not being able to see and it falling on me. 

Stones - this shizz iz crazy. I got up to 110, I couldnt get 100, but it all depends on the width of the stone and getting it yourself set in the right position to lift it up. 

Thanks to these guys I now know I am capable of way more.

It was a great experience. I lifted more weight in two days than I ever thought I was capable of. I learned a TON about form and about mental game. Its okay if you have to think about it before you lift, but not everyone is the same - some people just attack, some people clear their minds, you just have to do whatever you have to do to get that weight up. Fear is your worst enemy when it comes to weights - they will fall at some point, its inevitable, but all that means is that you are trying. Try, try again - right? 


The rest of the past month has been a variety of madness...

My hair is getting so LONG. I don't know if it will survive the hot n humid summer.

I got to go to a live filming of WWE NXT where John Cena was making a guest appearance. I find wrestling immensely entertaining and seeing it live just doubled my fondness for it. And no, most of the guys don't look as good as Cena so that's not the reason but he certainly does make it look good.

I got to take care of this sweetheart for a few days... he really is the sweetest dog - he just has a bit of separation anxiety and as a growing puppy gets into anything and everything he can reach. 

I had some interesting interactions with birds... first these two cute ducks were takin it easy by my car at the gym one morning... then at lunch these two crows were doing the strangest thing: staring at the sky, getting all puffed up and their eyes changing color, then unpuffing, then puffing again - like a bird exorcism. Anybody know what thats about?

Every once in awhile, it's really good to be a Florida girl. 

So I will continue to make progress, both in and out of the gym. Whether I see immediate results, or it takes a little bit longer to achieve my goals, I'll be working on overcoming my fears and being more of a badass  - like this girl:

All it takes is 20 seconds of insane courage 

-Benjamin Mee

1. Have you overcome any personal obstacles lately?

2. Do you have a favorite guilty pleasure like a trashy tv show or kids game?

3. Every witnessed a strange animal interaction? Anyone know what in the heck those crows were doing?